It is human nature to develop attachment to various things! We have a favourite movie, favourite song, favourite book, favourite musician, favourite outfit, etc. We’re used to having favourite things! Having favourites in personal life is a choice; it’s not good when favouritism props up at work. It can be toxic, and, in most cases, it is illegal.
Nepotism Vs Favouritism
Nepotism is favouring someone by using your power or influence to give unfair advantage to your family, especially by giving them jobs, says the dictionary. Cronyism is giving someone a position because they’re your friend or associate.
Favouritism in the workplace is choosing preference over performance. It’s treating someone specially because you like them rather than their work ethics.
Favouritism could be identified in following ways:
- The superior spends too much time and socialises more with the favourite employee than any other employee in the organisation
- The superior confides in the favourite employee and discusses all the confidential issues
- The superior praises the favourite employee even for a small achievement that others are not praised for
- The superior manages the mistakes made by the favourite employee
- The superior takes advise of the favourite employee without evaluating the pros and cons even in issues relating to emoluments of other employees
- Above all, the favourite employee enjoys more benefits like better office, added perquisites and benefits than others who are in the same position
Workplace favouritism should be eliminated at its earliest phase. If neglected, it spoils the morale of other employees.
Major impacts on Employees
1. Low Confidence
Employees may lose confidence as they experience lack of recognition for their contributions because of favouritism. Moreover, the drain of their efforts makes them anxious and less productive.
2. Resentment
Employee feels frustrated and loathes his manager who is outlandishly leaning toward other representative who may not be the most justifying towards his work result. So, this would increase self-doubt in continuing their job at the company.
3. Creativity and Critical Thinking
Once people in a team feels the influence of favouritism in management, their creativity and critical thinking on certain aspects of their work falls steep. Their confidence will decrease as they begin thinking that the management doesn’t consider skillset for a project.
4. Stress
It can bring the employees under stress as their hard work and achievements go unaccounted, resulting in slow growth or no growth in the company. This would affect their mental health in due course and may feel bad being at office daily which would affect their productivity.
How favouritism at workplace can affect productivity?
Giving preferential treatment to certain employees for the personal reasons can create a toxic work environment. Moreover, it can result in lower motivation and resentment in neglected workers and even in employee burnout and turnover.
How to manage favouritism?
Instead of dwelling on favouritism in the workplace, try to do your best at work and let your talent speak for itself. If this doesn’t bear fruit, it might be the right time to consider other job possibilities.
Plainly, favouritism ends up in discrimination, and negatively influences both the company and employees’ growth.